Orange and Carrot Cake

Orange and Carrot Cake

Inspired by: Taste.com.au

Why?

It was a friend’s birthday, and I wanted to try something a little different.

I used:

1 orange grated (including rind)

2 medium sized carrots grated

150g dairy free margarine melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups gluten free flour

½ cup rolled oats (if oats are not in your gluten free diet substitute almond meal)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

Topping

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ orange worth of zest

2 tbsp orange juice.

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C, and line or grease a cake tin 20cm x 30cm (or equivalent). 
In a medium sized bowl combine melted margarine, grated orange, the grated carrots and the brown sugar and mix well with a wooden spoon. 
Then add the gluten free flour, rolled oats, and baking powder and stir until well combined. 
Beat the eggs in well, and pour the mixture into the cake tin.
Bake for 40-70mins (depending on your oven) or until the cake tester pushed into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

For the topping: in a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and juice and mix well. Spread evenly over cake while warm.

Comments after eating Orange and Carrot cake!

The birthday girl was very happy with her cake- which was the main aim! I enjoyed the cake very much, although I think I baked it for too long for the type of pan I had. I baked it for 50 mins, but I think I should have checked it after 40 mins (the original recipe says to bake it for 70 mins). It is still delicious, orangy, cinnamony and very enjoyable.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge

Inspired by: Allrecipes.com

Why? We had friends coming over and one is vegan, so this was a sweet treat that she could eat.

I used:

¼ cup (60g) dairy free margarine

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup rice milk

½ cup dairy free peanut butter

1 ½ cups icing sugar

1tsp vanilla powder

What I did:

Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tray with baking paper. 
In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt margarine, taking care not to boil it. 
Stir in the brown sugar and rice milk with a wooden spoon and continue stirring letting it boil for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat (turn off the heat) and mix in the peanut butter and vanilla until well combined.
Lastly add the icing sugar and beat until smooth. 
Pour into the baking tray, and chill until set. 
Cut into squares and enjoy.

Comments after eating Peanut Butter Fudge!

The taste was really good, although it is very rich, so it is a good treat to share with your friends. The ingredient ratios used in this recipe were tweaked from users comments on the original posting, but I found that the fudge melted very easily (not to liquid, it just went soft). I googled this problem to try and find a remedy, but it seems to be a common problem with fudge (maybe it is the boiling point and not the ingredients, someone even suggested stirring until it is set). In the end I stored my fudge in the freezer, which helped a little, but I will do some more research on fudge science before I attempt this again! 

Carrot Cake (with orange icing)

Carrot Cake

Inspired by:

Australian Women’s Weekly

Why?

It was my mother’s birthday and  Aunties and Uncles and Grandparents were visiting.

I used:

2 eggs

1 cup gluten free self raising flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (if oats aren't in your gluten free diet substitute almond meal)

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

3 medium carrots grated

1tsp bicarb soda

1tsp mixed spice

1tsp cinnamon

Pinch salt

Icing

Juice of half an orange

Zest of an orange

2 cups icing sugar

What I did:

Preheat oven to 170C and line cake tin 25cm in diameter (or equivalent).

In a medium sized bowl combine grated carrot, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs together and mix well with a wooden spoon. 
Add gluten free flour, oats, bicarb soda, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt, and mix until well combined. 
Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for 50-70 mins or until a cake tester pushed into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

In a small bowl mix orange juice, zest and icing sugar together until smooth, pour over cake and serve while still warm.

Comments after eating Carrot Cake!

It was delicious, especially eaten warm with the orange icing. Everyone enjoyed it very much.

I was interrupted while cooking this cake and so I’m not sure if the timing in the oven is accurate as I had to put it in the oven twice, hours apart. Allow more time the first time you bake it just in case.
Can also use this recipe for cupcakes (see above, although they are iced differently).

PS. Sorry about the terrible picture! But hopefully you can see how moist and delicious it was!

Ants Microwave Brownie Recipe and the Brownie Bake off. . .

 Well some of you may already know this. . .

But my husband and I are quite competitive about our brownie recipes. We both believe ours is the best. So we decided to put it to some friends. Also thrown in the competition was Betty Crockers Gluten Free Brownie Mix. I’m not a fan of Packet mixes since I have begun to read labels and have realised the importance of knowing what goes in my food, but I thought it would be good competition.

So one fine Tuesday (it was a holiday) I set to baking. Once I had worked out the conversions on the back of the Betty Crocker packet I was ready to go.

Just add a bit less than 60g of melted butter and 2 eggs and 15 mins later the brownies are in the oven. 25mins later they were done. I only have to wash up one dish, so all in all- I’m pretty happy.

Now to my recipe, it also takes me 15 mins to prepare (but the other brownie is still baking so it just sits in the tray for it’s turn to bake). It also takes 25 mins to bake (although when I take it out I realise I should have taken it out at 20- its not gooey enough for my liking), and I only have to wash up one dish. All in all it’s pretty even.

Now it’s my husbands turn. His takes 15 mins to prepare too. Although I’m not sure if he’s going slower so I can watch, take notes and ask questions. It only takes 7 mins in the microwave though so that wins on preparation time easily. He used an extra bowl that he probably didn’t need to if he wanted to save on dishes, so the dish count is even at one a piece.

I’ll give you the recipe. . .and then to the tasting. . .

Ants Microwave Brownie Recipe

Inspired by:

An unknown cookbook in NZ at his mums

Why?

We were having a brownie bake off!

He used:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

100g dairy free margarine (melted)

1 cup gluten free flour

¼ cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

What he did:

In a microwave proof dish, whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla. 
Add melted dairy free margarine and stir through. 
Sift in gluten free flour, baking powder and cocoa, and mix well until combined. 
Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes.

Comments after eating Ants’ Microwave brownie!

It’s good, especially for being so quick and easy to make! Dangerously good!

Back to the competition:

So the packet mix was in an early lead, aided by the fact it was hard to tell the difference between mine and it, but in the end it was hampered by a poor after taste. 

It was delicious and squishy with lots of chocolate, but it’s overpowering sweetness and bad aftertaste lost it the title. Men in general (in all the tests we have done- small sample sizes though) prefer Ants brownie and it was the same that night. Pity there was only one man voting, and so my brownie came out victorious. Aided by the packet mix hampering it’s own campaign, and the fact that my brownie is sweet without adding chocolate, cakey without the cake and is supposed to be moist without too much goo, (am I rejoicing too hard here?) well perhaps I am over doing it.

All in all, all the brownies are good, and really it was our taste buds that won out that night.

See if you can pick which is which.

Happy Baking!

Lasagne- Gluten Free Chicken and Basil with Zucchini, Eggplant and Capsicum

Lasagne- Gluten Free Chicken and Basil with Zucchini, Eggplant and Capsicum

Inspired by:

The fact that I live in Italy but I have not yet tried making Lasagne. . .nor have I been able to eat it here yet.
White cheese chicken lasagna recipe on allrecipes.com

Why?

We had people coming for dinner. . .I know every host who has ever made money on a lifestyle program on TV always advises never to experiment when people are coming to dinner, but I like living on the edge.

I used:

12 Gluten Free Lasagne Sheets (250g)

175g dairy free margarine/butter (separated into 125g and 50g)

2Tbs chopped shallots

3 diced garlic cloves (separated into 1 and 2 cloves)

½ cup gluten free flour

3tps salt (separated into 1tsp and 2 tsp)

2 cups water

2 ½ cups rice milk (separated into 1 ½ cups and 1 cup)

300g non dairy cheese, grated (I used sheep’s cheese as it is just cows dairy that I have issues with)

1Tbs dried oregano

7 Tbs dried basil

½ tps black pepper

4 Tbs fresh chopped basil

3 Tbs vegetable oil

900g uncooked chicken breast/fillet cubed

½ zucchini thinly sliced

½ small eggplant thinly sliced

½ capsicum thinly sliced

What I did:

Find 30cm X40cm dish, and set aside (or two 15 X 25cm dishes worth.).

If you have not chopped your vegetables or grated the cheese, do it now!

In a small bowl combine 4 Tbs fresh chopped basil with 1 Tbs of vegetable oil and 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Stir and set aside.

On high to medium heat, and in a large saucepan, cook chicken pieces until browned and then add two cups of water, 2 tsp of salt, and 2Tbs of dried basil to the saucepan. 
Continue to cook; stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked all the way through, then remove from heat (turn off element). 
Separate the chicken from the chicken stock/broth by pouring the liquid into another heat proof container, retain both the chicken and the broth.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Over low heat, in a small saucepan, melt 125g dairy free margarine in with chopped shallots and 1 crushed garlic clove, and stir with a wooden spoon. 
When dairy free margarine has melted, add ½ cup gluten free flour and 1tsp salt, continuing to stir to avoid lumps. 
The white sauce mixture should thicken. 
Let the sauce simmer until it boils and then add 1 ½ cups rice milk and the chicken stock/broth, and bring the sauce back to the boil for one minute, stirring occasionally. 
Stir through 100g grated dairy free cheese, and add 1Tbs dried basil, 1Tbs oregano, and ½ tsp black pepper and take off the heat (turn off the element) and set aside.

Prepare gluten free lasagne sheets as per manufacturers guidelines. 
Add 2tbs of vegetable oil to the water to stop the pasta sheets from sticking together.
Once the pasta sheets are boiled (4-5 mins for the ones I used) separate them immediately after cooking to save frustration later.

To assemble the lasagne we now have:

White sauce

1 cup rice milk

Gluten free pasta sheets (ready to go)

4tsp dried basil

Bowl of fresh chopped basil, crushed garlic and oil

Sliced zucchini

Sliced eggplant

Sliced capsicum

Cooked basil chicken

400g non dairy cheese, grated

50g dairy free margarine.

Pour a third of the white sauce in the bottom of the cooking pan, then place a third of the pasta sheets(4) over the top. 
Next make a layer of the chicken pieces on top of the pasta, and then add the fresh basil and garlic mixture on top of the chicken. 
Follow this with an even sprinkling of cheese and a dash of rice milk for moisture. 
Add the next lot (4) of the pasta sheets, followed by the next third of the white sauce. 
Then layer the zucchini pieces and sprinkle with cheese, add 2Tbs of basil and a dash of rice milk. 
The eggplant is the next layer, followed again by cheese and the last 2 Tbs of basil and a dash of rice milk, followed by the capsicum and more cheese. 
Add the last of the white sauce and add the final strips of pasta. 
Sprinkle the top of the lasagne with the last of the cheese. 
Dot slices of the margarine on the top of the lasagne and bake in the oven for 45 mins.

Comments after eating Lasagne!

Everyone loved it. It was delicious! I’m glad there was leftovers so I can keep enjoying it for a bit longer!

If you can’t find dairy free cheese in your area, I would suggest making twice as much of the white sauce, and adding a bit more salt to it. The white sauce has a nice flavor, and I think that even without the cheese, with a little extra white sauce this would make a great flavoursome dish.

Lemon Bread

Lemon Bread

Inspired by: All recipes.com

Why?

Had lemons to use up, and am still baking for the conference.

I used:

½ cup dairy free margarine/115g

1 cup castor sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs lemon zest

1 ½ cups gluten free self raising flour

1/8 tsp salt

¼ cup dairy free rice milk

What I did:

Preheat oven to 175C and line/grease 20x30cm baking dish.

In a medium bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamed. 
Beat in eggs, then lemon juice, and zest. 
Add flour, salt and milk, and mix well. 
When mixture is combined, pour into pan and bake for 45 mins, or until tester comes out clean.

Comments after eating Lemon Bread!

It reminds me of lemon and poppy seed muffins. I honestly expected it to have more of a lemon flavor, although I do like the taste a lot. Next time I will add more lemon juice and zest! I think the lemon butter would make a great icing for this and would give it a big lemony kick.

 Please excuse my messy kitchen!